Process development of precision surface micro-machining using mechanical abrasion and chemical etching

A process that is capable of micro-machining the surface of both metallic and silicon materials has been developed. The process is based on mechanical abrasion of the surface using a very sharp and hard tool followed by chemical etching in some instances. The most critical parameter for the mechanical abrasion process is the thrust force which essentially dictates the mode of cutting. Experiments were performed using a specially built precision programmable machine with sub-micrometer feed resolution to identify the optimum operating conditions to obtain satisfactory cutting. By carefully adjusting the feed of the tool, pockets could also be machined quite successfully. In order to demonstrate the flexibility of the process, a miniature face was machined on both silicon and brass. The micro-machining process presented in this work can also be used to fabricate micro-molds as well as micro-grooves.